by Lauren King
Elizabeth can see that Mr. Darcy is completely appalled. He is too much of a gentleman to show it on his face, but she can tell. Who would not be when they hear of such a scandal and such an abomination? She has to accept it; she will lose her three friends forever.
“Mr. Darcy, I completely understand your shock and repugnance. I was worse when I found out. Now, you know why I had to decline your courtship. I am sorry that you have to know about any of this. I fully understand it if you would like to take your leave, now. I will let my Uncle and Aunt know that you have to attend to urgent business.” Elizabeth stands up to bid Mr. Darcy a farewell for the last time. She doubts that they will ever see each other again except by chance in public. She will not try to claim an acquaintance with him if he does not want to acknowledge her.
Darcy looks up at Miss Elizabeth, and then he also stands. He looks at her directly and says, “I am very sorry for your family’s situation, Miss Elizabeth. I would like to help if I can; may I ask you a couple of questions? I understand that this must be awkward and painful for you to talk about. Again, I am sorry for your suffering and discomfort. ”
Looking down at her hands, she replies, “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Darcy. Please, do not feel obligated in any way. The mistake has been made. Now, my entire family will have to bear Lydia’s shame. I am mortified for you, sir. However, I am willing to answer your questions.” Elizabeth sits back down on the sofa without looking directly at Mr. Darcy; she is too embarrassed.
Elizabeth glances over at Jane, and she sees Jane’s happy smile. However, on her second glance at Jane, she sees a very saddened Jane talking with Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth can guess what has transpired between them. She feels such sorrow for Jane; Jane does not deserve to have such a bleak future. None of them deserve it.
Elizabeth has never wanted to settle with just any gentleman merely for the sake of being married. She has always thought that there could be the possibility that she may end up with no family of her own because she will only have one thousand pounds for her dowry; that is her fortune in life – literally. That meager dowry will not attract any man of significance. Although, if her suitor only courted her because she had a large dowry, then he was not a person that she would want anyways. She could make that small amount of money work if her husband truly cares for her and loves her. She would not mind living minimalistically with Mr. Darcy. She would rather have him than have the riches with another unloving gentleman. She truly has come to admire, to respect, to care for, and to…love him. It is exceedingly unfair. After knowing Mr. Darcy and falling in love with him, she just cannot imagine another gentleman taking his place in her heart and her mind. Losing him presents such a hopeless future, yet that will be her future.
“Will Miss Lydia be married soon; do you know, Miss Elizabeth?”
“Unfortunately, I do not think so, sir.” Elizabeth answers quietly without looking at Mr. Darcy; it is just too disgraceful.
“Has Mr. Bennet approached the person involved with her and make them marry?”
Elizabeth takes a deep breath before explaining. “Lydia refuses to divulge who the man is because she is afraid that my Father might call him out and kill him. She said that she thinks he will marry her if he knew. However, my Father thought that the possibility of this person blackmailing us for a large amount of money before marrying Lydia was so great that my Father decided to completely hide the entire situation. It would ruin the reputation of us four sisters if they were not to marry. Unfortunately, a large money demand could cripple my family, and our reputations could still be ruined afterwards. Therefore, my Father has removed Lydia to my Uncle Phillip’s cousin’s home up north in Blyth for the next year. Lydia said that she wants to give up the baby once the baby is born.” Elizabeth takes another deep breath. “Now, you know everything, sir.” Elizabeth is wholly ashamed. There is no other way to feel. She sits there quietly with one hand covering her mouth and her other hand wrapped around herself.
Darcy does not know how to resolve such a problem except to pay, threaten, or coerce the scoundrel to marry Miss Lydia. However, if this blackguard is devious and has nothing to lose, then he could still ruin all the Bennet’s reputation. He could still threaten to expose this situation if they do not pay him an exorbitant amount of money of which they do not have. Darcy will handle this…man.
“Miss Elizabeth, I wish to help because I still care for you, and I still want a courtship with you. I know this is not the best time to talk about that, but that is how I feel.” Darcy looks directly at Miss Elizabeth, but she still looks down at her hands. He wants her to know the truth. He cannot think of being with anyone else. His heart and mind is set on her. He does not think this will affect Georgiana’s prospects to any significant extent; he will handle this problem. Georgiana’s bigger problem is being able to hide her Ramsgate problem; he will handle that problem, too.
“There has to be a way to resolve this. The key to this problem is to finding out the person that is involved with Miss Lydia. Once we find that out, then I can investigate into his family background and see what can be done and what leverage Mr. Bennet has in which to hold this person accountable for his actions with Miss Lydia. For example, Mr. Bennet can appeal to this person’s parents. If there is no other way and this person is not willing to be upstanding, then your Father does not have to be civil. If this person has siblings, then Mr. Bennet can inform this family that the surrounding neighbors and church congregation will all be informed of this person’s conduct against a fifteen year old girl. This will surely make them think twice about denying their duty to Miss Lydia. Their entire family will be affected also, especially if there are any unmarried sisters remaining in their household.”
“This is all underhanded, but I truly believe that you have to deal with people appropriately. If they are uncivilized, then they will be treated as such. If this blackguard refuses or denies his duty, then he is not fit to be treated civilly, anyways. Therefore, with that threat held over his own family, he will not be able to demand a large sum of money in order to marry Miss Lydia. Conversely, if we learn that this man has no family and is not compelled by anything or anyone, then it could be likely that he will try to extort money from your family before he stays quiet or marries Miss Lydia. In which case, your family will be back to its original position and this would mean that Miss Lydia’s condition will have to be hidden completely from him and everyone else. It is even better that she has decided to give up the baby; that can be secretly arranged.”
Darcy takes a breath then he says, “You can present this idea to your Father to see what he thinks of it. You do not have to say that I will be involved. I know this is a sensitive subject which Mr. Bennet may not want a friend of yours to know about, but I would like to help if I can. I think we are beyond just friends, are we not, Miss Elizabeth?” Darcy asks optimistically as he gives her a small closed-lip smile.
Darcy’s plan is a good one. If everything goes well, then Georgiana will not be affected, and he will be able to court Miss Elizabeth without her feeling such misery. He….loves her. He has never before felt this protectiveness and…this love for any other young lady, and he can imagine only Miss Elizabeth in his life and future, now.
“Yes, we are.” Elizabeth answers very quietly, but she honestly wants to jump for joy because Mr. Darcy still wants to be in a courtship with her after knowing all of this.
“You understand that I still want to pursue a courtship with you, Miss Elizabeth?” Darcy asks with hope.
“Yes.” She answers softly and nods gently. Her heart wants to burst with elation.
“You know that you are under no obligation to me? I will still help you in this matter to the best of my abilities even if you do not want to a courtship with me.” Darcy informs her carefully. He wants her love not her sense of obligation.
“Mr. Darcy, may I remind you that you knew of my inclination towards you before I had to tell you of this horrid situation – even before I knew anythi
ng of this dreadful problem. Do you remember that, Mr. Darcy?” Elizabeth says forthrightly but with tenderness because that is how she feels about him. “I should say that you are under no obligation to me, sir.”
“I will also remind you that you have known of my complete desire to be in a courtship with you this entire time.” Darcy tries to alleviate some of the gloom by teasing her. She has such an adorable smile at times and other times her smile is most alluring. “Let us say that we understand that we both are under no obligation. We honestly want this courtship with each other. Does that sound fair, Miss Elizabeth?” Darcy smiles handsomely at her when she glances at him.
She shyly smiles back while nodding gently. “Yes, that is fair, sir.” She is ecstatic; there is no gentleman better than Mr. Darcy!
Since they sit on the same sofa about four feet apart, Mr. Darcy extends his hand to finally touch her hand and hold it while he asks, “Will you do me the honor of being in a courtship with me, Miss Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth blushes upon his touch. “Yes, I would be honored to be in a courtship with you, Mr. Darcy.” Elizabeth replies most tenderly. Her chest is about to burst open with exultation. The pain and depression lift off of her, freeing her from torment.
“May I speak to your Uncle about our courtship, now?” Darcy asks with joy. He wants it without delay.
“Yes, I will go let him know that you would like to speak with him.” Elizabeth is overjoyed as she thinks about what just happened. Mr. Darcy still wants to pursue their relationship. She could not be any happier – actually, she could be happier if Lydia’s mistake never occurred. However, due to her family’s dire troubles, she knows now that Mr. Darcy genuinely cares for her.
His touch upon her hand sends shivers up her arm, and she cannot move her hand away. Is she too wanton to allow him to hold her hand when they only just started their courtship? She has never been in a courtship, thus she does not know. She and Mr. Darcy are only beginning a courtship; she should not allow him to hold her hand again except when they are dancing. Mr. Darcy knows what Lydia has done as an unmarried girl; hence, Elizabeth does not want him to think that she is also indecent by accepting his advances while they are not married yet. She would die of shame if he thought that she was also a common, wanton flirt like Lydia.
Will Elizabeth always have to worry about being compared to Lydia’s indecency and not ever be able to express herself truly? Will she always have to second-guess herself when she is around Mr. Darcy? Will he also consider her too wanton if she teasingly or innocently flirts with him? Will she have to be formal with him all the time? He is in the first circles of society, so they may carry themselves differently. Will she be able to tolerate the suppression of her natural, loving self from surfacing because she is fearful of being considered too forward? If he expects all that from her, then he wants her to be someone else. Will she be able to accept that? Has she made a mistake in accepting his courtship? The only option, now, is to see how Mr. Darcy will treat her, and then she can decide what to do further.
As Elizabeth looks over at Jane to see her seriously speaking with Mr. Bingley, she slowly pulls her hand from Mr. Darcy and puts it back on her lap. She looks back down to her lap. She feels as if she will still have to pay for Lydia’s mistake; she may not lose Mr. Darcy, but he may think differently of her . If she has lost any of his respect, then she will certainly back out of this courtship without any hesitation; otherwise, she could not live with herself.
Darcy surely notices that Miss Elizabeth pulls her hand back. He wants to hold her hand longer, but there are others around. They have only just started their courtship; therefore, he does not want to overextend his welcome or worry her about his affections. He knows that she has never been courted before; consequently, she is definitely innocent and does not know what is to be expected. She is also a good, respectable, proper young lady; in view of that, he does not think that she is anything like Miss Lydia. However, he hopes that she will be her natural self with him. He can tell that she shows her affections readily to her love ones; therefore, he patiently waits to receive her affections as her suitor and as her future….husband.
Darcy will slowly introduce her into a loving, physical relationship; he is certain that they will head into matrimony. That is how much he has come to care for her. Holding her hand for a brief moment was already a thrill. Her skin is soft, supple, and warm. He wants to hold it all day, every day; one day he will have that privilege. He will need to encourage her so that she is not too shy about showing her affections towards him when they are in private because he is serious in making her his wife; therefore, he does not think it inappropriate.
“Forgive me for being so forward, Miss Elizabeth.”
“Not at all, Mr. Darcy.” Elizabeth responds shyly with a quick glimpse at Mr. Darcy before looking down at her hands again.
“After speaking with your Uncle about our courtship, I would like to also ask your Father, personally. Do you think your Father will entertain my call upon him if I travel to Hertfordshire?” Darcy asks with anticipation.
“My Father will surely receive your call, Mr. Darcy. However, I want you to know that my Uncle has my Father’s consent to answer for him while Jane and I are in London.” Elizabeth affirms warmly.
“I am glad to know that. I will speak to your Uncle, and then see what he says about me seeking your Father’s consent.” Darcy smiles dotingly at Elizabeth.
“I will go ask my Uncle to speak with you now, then, Mr. Darcy.” Elizabeth responds with shy delight as she gets up to go to the garden.
Mr. Gardiner is happy to give Mr. Darcy his consent to court Elizabeth; Mr. Gardiner has full authority from Mr. Bennet to give such approvals or disapprovals in regards to both of his nieces, but Mr. Darcy can still seek Mr. Bennet’s personal blessing if he so desires. At this point, Mr. Gardiner reveals that it is only right that Mr. Darcy knows about the Bennet Family’s current problem. Darcy acknowledges that he already knows because Miss Elizabeth has already informed him of it all.
Darcy tells Mr. Gardiner of his plan to help investigate about the blackguard that is involved with Miss Lydia. Mr. Gardiner is fully impressed by Mr. Darcy’s willingness to assist the Bennets. He understands that it is due to Mr. Darcy’s great fondness for Elizabeth. He is glad that his niece has attracted such an honorable and generous man. From what he has seen and knows of Mr. and Miss Darcy, he can tell that Elizabeth will have a loving and caring future if their relationship progresses that far. Mr. Gardiner is very happy for Elizabeth.
“Mr. Darcy, you have a good idea there. I agree with you; if that blackguard is indecent enough not to do his duty by Lydia, then he does not need to be treated civilly. He must pay one way or another for his inexcusable involvement. I will reinforce and support your idea to my brother Bennet so that he can consider taking those actions. We cannot just sit here and hope that Lydia’s problem can be hidden forever. Her problem hinders and hurts all of her sisters’ chances at a decent future. I am extremely disappointed in her.”
Darcy comes back into the sitting room in a very joyous mood. His joy at officially courting Miss Elizabeth feels so thrilling that it made him forget about Miss Lydia’s appalling problem for a short time. All he wants is to spend more time with Miss Elizabeth. She seems pleased to be in a courtship with him, and he is overjoyed. He can feel a difference in his heart. Every time he looks at her it makes him elated that they could develop into matrimony and have a blissful life together.
Darcy sits about three feet away from Miss Elizabeth and reaches for her hand to hold while saying, “Miss Elizabeth, your Uncle has given his consent to our courtship. Are you pleased?” He smiles very charismatically, indeed.
“Yes, I am.” Elizabeth answers fondly. She does not know if she should keep avoiding his affections for her. She does not think holding hands is very wanton, right? He is a respectable, honorable gentleman; he would not think ill of her. He must like who she is in order for him to pursue her even aft
er he found about Lydia’s atrocious problem.
“My Christian name is Fitzwilliam, but will you call me William? I do not think we have to be so formal with each other in private, do you?” Darcy asks warmly while still holding her hand gently.
Elizabeth looks shyly at Mr. Darcy and sees that he is very tender towards her, thus she answers warmly, “I think that is fine when we are in private or with family. Will you call me Elizabeth, then? Or you can call me Lizzy as my family does.” She smiles adoringly at Mr. Darcy.
“I will be very pleased to call you Lizzy.” Darcy smiles one of his attractive smiles that Elizabeth adores. He gives her hand a squeeze before caressing the back of it with his thumb.
Elizabeth can see the joy reaching his eyes, and he seems genuinely content. This delights her; it is a good indication for their future with each other. She feels more cheerful the more she thinks about a future with…William. She greatly hopes that their association will advance further than just a courtship. They seem to be compatible in many ways, and it makes her excited about a joyous future instead of the grim depression that she thought she would have to endure.
Elizabeth gives him one of her most charming smiles, and then she looks over at Jane to see that Jane is still looking sad. Mr. Bingley and Jane are still talking. Elizabeth looks back at William and asks, “William, what did my Uncle say about you traveling to ask for my Father’s consent for our courtship?”
“Your Uncle said that he has full authority on these matters concerning you and Miss Bennet, but I would still like to go to Hertfordshire to ask your Father, personally. I will arrange for a day to travel to Hertfordshire to do that. Would you and Miss Bennet like to come with me for the day? I know you have not seen your family for a couple of months now.”